Red Moon
by unique-starfish
Summary: Legend has it that when the moon is red, a mysterious lady is seen murmuring in a strange language, casting a spell of love. What happens when she mispronounces a few words? [AxM]
1. Prologue: Dirty Toenails

**Author's Note:** Hmmm…well…what should I say? This fic came to me in the middle of the night (when I had too much caffeine). It's funny how the world works, no? Um...maybe not. Anyways, this fic isn't the greatest, but I hope it isn't the worst! Read on...and I really hope you enjoy my humble writing skills:o)

**NOTE:** The legend is NOT a real legend—at least not one that I've heard of. It was just something that came from the chaos that is my mind! Yuppers, and I guess that's all there is to say about this, ne? Again, I hope you enjoy this fic!

**Disclaimer:** Yeah…keep on believing that I DO own Rurouni Kenshin, okies? It'll make me feel better anyways…so…yeah. Riiiiight. What ARE you people staring at? OKAY! I DON'T OWN IT! (but I do own the stupid 'red moon' legend—unless some other person has come up with one similar to it…if it someone DID, I didn't know! Don't kill me!)

* * *

Prologue

"The moon will be red three days from now," a young girl whispered to her even younger sister. "Do you know what that means?"

Her little sister shook her head emphatically. "What? What does it mean?"

The older girl laughed derisively, waving her hand in a superior manner. "Oh, you don't know, do you? Maybe it's 'cause you're too small to know. Mother and Father told ME, of course," she added, looking importantly at her sister.

The younger girl sighed impatiently, looking up at her sister in exasperation. "Just tell me what it means."

"Why should I?" her sister shot back, her eyes glinting maliciously.

"I'll tell Mom that you—"

"Okay, okay! Fine…" the older girl said, quickly covering her sister's mouth.

The younger girl pulled her sister's hand off, frowning. "So, what does it mean?"

"Legend has it that when the moon is red…" the older sister paused for a moment.

"What? What happens?" the younger sister asked, her eyes wide in anticipation.

"Well…a mysterious lady in red will be seen muttering in a strange language. All the people who talk about it tell me that she is chanting a magical spell that will sometimes be good and sometimes not so good. Mom and Dad both say that she is a fairy."

The younger girl was intrigued. "Is she pretty?"

Sighing, her sister answered. "Of course! Fairies are ALWAYS pretty! You've got so much to learn from me…"

"What kind of magic does she do?"

"Oh! Well, all sorts! Mommy and Daddy say that she even grants some of our wishes! But do you know what my favorite kind is?"

The younger girl shook her head.

"My favorite is when she…"

"She what?"

"When she makes someone fall in love!"

"What if they don't want to fall in love? What if it's all just a mistake?"

The older girl paused, as if this thought was one that had never come to her—which of course she would never admit to her little sister since she WAS the older one (which meant that she had the obligation of being much more intelligent).

Then she continued on, waving her hand carelessly in the air. "The mysterious lady doesn't make mistakes. She IS a fairy—and they NEVER make mistakes," the older girl said, trying as hard as she could to sound intelligent.

The younger girl's eyes widened. "_Never_?"

Nodding, the older sister answered. "Never."

* * *

_Misao held her breath as the man she loved—Aoshi-sama—walked toward her, his icy blue eyes warm under the sunlight._

_"Misao…" he whispered gently, sending ripples of excitement down her back. "Misao…I want to talk to you…" He laid his hand tenderly on her back, guiding her toward the stone bench under the cherry tree._

_"Yes?" Misao asked, her anticipation building. She sat down on the bench._

_That atmosphere could not have been more romantic—cherry blossoms were swirling around them in the wind._

_Aoshi seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then sat down next to her._

_"Misao…"_

_Misao looked up at him. He was going to ask her…she could feel it. There was something in his eyes that just told her that he was going to do what she wanted him to do. She directed her gaze onto her hands for fear that she would cry with joy._

_"Will you…"_

_"Yes?" Misao said, still not daring to look up at him._

_"Will you—?" Aoshi broke off suddenly. He sighed. "It just doesn't feel right asking you this…I'm not sure if you're ready. It's just so sudden of me to ask you this…"_

_Misao looked up. "No, Aoshi-sama…go on…tell me. What is it that you want?" Misao asked, smiling inwardly, knowing, waiting for…_

_Aoshi leaned toward her, his lips twitching. "I want you to…"_

_"What?"_

_"I…want you to…clean the dirt from between my toenails."_

_Misao's mouth fell open. Whatever she had been expecting, it certainly wasn't THAT._

_She wasn't sure if she heard right. "Excuse me?"_

_"I want you to clean the dirt from between my toenails!" Aoshi repeated—but Aoshi wasn't so…Aoshi anymore._

_Right before her eyes, Aoshi was transforming into the butcher boy from the market. Aoshi's lean, angular body transformed, his toned muscles changing into rolls of fat. His abs became a round belly, and pimples began to appear all over his once smooth face._

_And soon, the butcher boy, not Aoshi, stood before her._

_He put a fat finger to his chin, scratching it thoughtfully. "Oh," he said, the voice no longer Aoshi's deep, sexy tones, but instead, a thin, reedy voice. "And I wanted to ask you another thing too. After that, you can clean my toenails."_

_Misao watched in horror as the butcher boy dropped onto his knee. "Will you…marry me?" he asked._

_Without waiting for an answer, the butcher boy stood up and leaned toward her, his ugly lips coming closer and closer —_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Misao screamed, shooting out from underneath her covers. Her hands had both curled into fists and were held out defensively in front of her.

Misao looked wildly around, and when she was finally certain that there was not a butcher boy in sight, she closed her eyes.

She fell back onto her futon, gasping for breath. She sat there for a moment to recollect herself, the image of the butcher boy's lips coming toward her still in her mind.

Misao shook her head, trying to get it out.

"It was just a dream…" she muttered under her breath.

Just then, both Okon and Omasu came rushing into the room. "What happened? Are you okay, Misao? What's going on?" they both said, their faces wearing concerned expressions.

Misao shook her head. "It…was…just a nightmare…"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"NO!" Misao answered, a little too forcefully.

Okon and Omasu peered suspiciously at Misao for a moment, before going on to comfort her. "It's okay, Misao. It was just an evil dream."

Misao nodded. "I'm fine…"

Getting up, Okon walked toward the door. "Come on Omasu, let's leave Misao alone. She's okay."

With one last glance, they both left.

Misao sighed. This was the fourth time she had that dream—and it never ended nicely. It always had the hideous part with the butcher boy at the end. She knew that she loved Aoshi—it was just that she didn't understand why the butcher boy had to be in it.

Carefully, Misao stepped into the kitchen watching the backs of Okon and Omasu cooking. The Aoiya would open in half an hour.

* * *

Okina looked up at her when she entered, and smiled. "I heard about your little nightmare, Misao. So—what are you dreaming about so much? Come on…I KNOW you want to tell me! Does it have to do with a certain dark-haired guy?"

Misao rolled her eyes. "Jiya, nearly ALL the guys have dark hair—with the exception of Kenshin, of course."

Scratching his chin thoughtfully, Okina said, "Hey…you're right! Oh well…then what is it about? I DO know who you were dreaming about…but did anything…interesting happen? Like…were you two taking off your clothes and—"

"OKINA!" Okon and Omasu both yelled warningly as Misao glared at him.

He just laughed. "Well, what WERE you two doing?"

"Can we just drop it?"

Okina opened his mouth to refuse, but that was before Okon smashed a plate over his head.

Omasu smiled, and whispered, "Don't worry. We won't talk about it anymore."

Misao picked up her chopsticks, poking at her food.

Okina stopped rubbing his head, and said "Misao?"

"_What_!"

"Do you know what's going to happen in about two days?" Okina asked, his eyes twinkling.

"No…what?"

"It's going to be a red moon!"

"So?"

Okina sighed impatiently. "The mysterious lady in red is going to come out! Don't you remember that legend?"

"What? The stupid one where a 'mysterious lady in red' is going to cast a spell on us all? Come on, Jiya! I'm not stupid! I may have been when I was six, but I'm a lot older now! Do you actually think that I would believe in that crap?"

Okina's smile faltered. There went his little Misao. Hitching his smile back onto his face, he said, "Well…at least make a wish! It just might come true!"

Misao glared at him a moment, before picking up her plate and setting on the table. "I'm done," she said coldly, and then picked up a tray. She set cups on it, and grabbed the pot of boiling tea that Omasu had just brewed.

"Misao—" Okina began. He didn't finish what he was going to say. Perhaps he realized that she was growing up.

Misao didn't even look up when he called, but instead, she slid the door open, balancing the tray on her right hand.

And she left to bring Aoshi his tea, while Okina gazed sadly after her.

* * *

Aoshi cracked his eyes open, the icy hue of his blue eyes still cold even under the warm rays of the sun. He had felt like sitting outside today—even he could not resist the warmth that beckoned to him when he woke up.

Now, Aoshi looked around, having opened his eyes for a reason. Aoshi never did anything without a reason, and the reason he opened his eyes was because he had sensed someone coming, and that someone was not a normal someone. No, it had to be an annoying little weasel.

He watched, with a slightly amused face as Misao came storming toward the temple, her eyes aimed directly in front her. She walked past him, taking no notice of him whatsoever, and proceeded to kick the door of the temple open.

And hopefully everyone has been taught the process of cause and effect, as in this case the effect was—

"OW! That fucking door! How could it do that! CRAP it hurts! Oh DAMN! SHIT!"

Misao had stubbed her toe. Still, she had managed to carry the tray without spilling anything—and that was what Aoshi thought of as an accomplishment. Yet he wondered—where DID she learn all that language? Certainly not from HIM…

Still taking no notice of him, Misao walked into the temple, only to have to walk back out, once she realized that no one was there.

She scanned the area for a minute before realizing that Aoshi was still watching her with a slightly amused look on his handsome features.

Blushing furiously, she sat down next to him, setting the tray gently down. Aoshi turned his gaze from her once more, and closed his eyes—apparently in deep concentration.

Misao was silent as she poured some tea into his cup.

"Aoshi-sama?"

Aoshi opened his eyes, looking questioningly at her.

"Jiya still treats me as if I were a little girl!"

"How so?"

"Only this morning, he told me about this stupid legend about some stupid lady and some stupid red dress. He said that every red moon, she comes out and grants people's wishes or something! I mean, he should KNOW that I won't believe that load of sht anymore!" Misao said, looking pointedly at Aoshi.

Aoshi gazed ahead of him. He remembered when he had been told the legend…and that night…when it was a red moon…there, in fact, HAD been a lady in red. He had seen her—but nobody had believed him.

The adults just laughed, calling him 'cute.' Aoshi glared. He wasn't '_cute_.'

But he had SEEN her! She had been muttering something under her breath—and she wasn't as pretty as everybody said she was. Aoshi even secretly thought that Misao was much, much prettier than that lady was…but he wouldn't admit it out loud, of course.

"What is it, Aoshi-sama?" Misao asked, concerned. The silence had been just a little TOO long.

He shook his head.

"Nothing…"

* * *

**Author's Note:** SO, what if it wasn't funny? I'm supposed to be studying at the moment, so be happy! Okay, I KNOW it's not that great so far, but it's not THAT bad, right? Anyways, the next chapter of my other fic should be out in…I don't know. I haven't even started on it…SORRY! I'm a very bad girl…okey dokey…just tell me what you think of this so far! (if it sucks, feel free to tell me (by reviewing!) 


	2. Chapter 1: Chopsticks

**Author's Note:** Eh…erm…can't think of anything to say here. I KNOW I should be working on "Pools of Emptiness", but I'm kind of stuck on that one. But I'm supposed to be at the part where it's EASY to write. Then why am I having so much trouble? Probably because the last chapter I posted stunk and sucked all my enthusiasm away. :o( Ah well…I'll think of something soon for it…

**Disclaimer:** How many times do I have to tell you that I own Rurouni Kenshin? Well, anyways, I DO!! I REALLY DO!!! I can't believe that you even _dared _to think that I didn't own it ('cause I do!)! So then why do I NOT own it? Ahem…okay, so that didn't make any sense…

* * *

Chapter 1

"You have to be ready – the time for you to roam the human world is tomorrow night!" an elderly woman exclaimed, looking sternly at a young girl wearing red. "If you pronounce even the smallest syllable incorrectly, then everything will be ruined!"

The girl rolled her eyes.

"I've already studied that crap for long enough."

"But, this is your FIRST time! If you mess up – well…who KNOWS what may happen! And it will be an embarrassment to our people!"

Sighing, the young girl looked up at the elderly woman. "What exactly am I supposed to DO?"

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GRANT WISHES!" the old woman yelled.

"How am I supposed to know how to do THAT?"

Glaring, the woman sat down next to the girl. "I'll help you this time – but never again, you understand me? Later, you're going to have to do all this by yourself—I had to, and you're going to have to do the same."

"Okay…now what am I supposed to do?"

"There was this girl—she had a dream about how this man turned into another man—the butcher boy, in fact. I think it may mean that she wants the butcher boy to marry her!" the lady offered. "You could grant that wish—you could cause the butcher boy to fall in love with her!'

The girl looked thoughtfully down at her hands. "Well…I would think that she liked the OTHER guy—you know, the better looking one! Why would she want a pimple-covered idiot who wanted her to clean his toenails?"

Sighing, the elderly woman replied, "Love is a beautiful thing. Perhaps she loves the butcher boy so much, that she is willing to overlook all his imperfections—no matter how perfect the other man is."

The girl rolled her eyes. _Old women and their fantasies of love…_

"Okay then…what are all their names?" she asked.

The older lady thought for a moment. "I believe the girl's name was…Misao…and…the good-looking guys name was…Aoshi, and the butcher boy? His name was—"

Holding her hand up, the young girl stopped the elderly lady from saying the butcher boy's name. "We'll just call him the butcher boy, okay?"

_So Misao…contrary to my grandmother's belief, I think you like that Aoshi guy, right? Well…I can do that…that's why I don't need to know that butcher boy's name…_

And with that, the girl in red pulled out a book of the Old Language and began studying.

The older lady turned to leave, but instead, she turned back toward the girl she said, "Do not make any mistakes, okay? If you do, you will be ruining an age-old legend."

Little did they know, they were already beginning to make one.

* * *

Misao yawned as she walked slowly and sleepily toward her room.

_Great…now I'm tired. But if I fall asleep, I'm liable to have that stupid dream again!! _

It wouldn't have been surprising – Misao had the same dream again the night before. It was almost becoming some sickeningly horrible habit. As little as Misao wanted to admit it, she did enjoy the part where Aoshi was in it. It made her feel warm and fluttery inside. Of course, having that butcher boy in it made the whole thing a disaster.

Misao continued walking, muttering, "Stop it," under her breath. _I hate that dream with the butcher boy – what was his name? It was very similar to Aoshi-sama's…perhaps Aaoshi or Aooshi or something along those lines. _

Shaking her head, Misao reached her bedroom. Although she hated the butcher boy, she sometimes thought that having the dream was worth the horror – because of this dream, she could manage to see Aoshi even during her sleep! She stopped in front of the doorway, frowning. It hadn't been her own imagination that invoked the dream – when she went to the marketplace, Aaoshi or Aooshi or Aoshii had made it plain that he was interested in her. It was fortunate that she was a swift runner, as she had to do some running to avoid being throttled to death in the butcher boy's arms.

She walked in, feeling more confused then ever.

Outside Misao's window, the dusky sky caused Misao to shiver involuntarily, and a sense of foreboding spread throughout her body, though the reason remained unknown.

_Everything will be okay…_

* * *

Aoshi was angry – oh, it wasn't visible on his face…he was just…angry. Ever since Misao had mentioned the Legend of the Red Moon, Aoshi had been unpleasantly reminded of the time when he had been told about the legend.

They were horrible, horrible times. Looking back, Aoshi wished that he had never mentioned that he had seen a lady in red. It was that action that had caused what seemed to be an unending era of cheek-pinching, and the everlasting phrase _"Aw, how CUTE!"_ was heard being thrown at him every few minutes.

He shuddered at these horrible memories, while a small voice inside his head said defiantly, _"I'm not CUTE…"_

Fortunately, the only one at the Aoiya who knew of this was Okina, whom Aoshi had already threatened not to tell. Aoshi had used to an embarrassing piece of information (that happened to involve Okina and a female) to his advantage. Okina, who didn't seem too keen on getting this information out too quickly, complied with Aoshi's terms.

Besides, even if Okina decided to tell everyone his deep, dark secret, Aoshi already had a plan. Since a red moon was coming up, he could force the others to watch for the lady in red. The only downfall with this plan was that if the lady in red _didn't_ show up…well…he didn't want to think about it.

However, Aoshi felt confident that what he had seen was real, as he didn't have a very wild imagination as a child. He preferred books that dealt with strategy rather than ones of dragons and fairies.

Aoshi pulled his legs out of the rigid lotus position and stood up.

As he walked quickly out of the temple, he nodded quietly to a passing monk, who seemed to decipher this action as "goodbye."

Feeling the need to remind Okina of their…agreements, Aoshi headed toward the Aoiya. Aoshi knew that Okina tended to be forgetful, thought he doubted if Okina was naturally forgetful, even though he was at a great age. In fact, Aoshi suspected that Okina pretended to be forgetful, as it had saved his face a couple of times.

_That would be something Okina would do…_

With a slight smile on his face, Aoshi continued to walk towards the Aoiya, enjoying the quietness of the day – that is, until he heard an explosion of sound (that sounded suspiciously like a long-haired weasel).

* * *

"WHERE IS IT?! OH NO!! I CAN'T FIND IT!!!" Misao screamed as she dug frantically through the wooden kitchen drawers. She was clutching a single black cherry wood chopstick tightly in her hand, and her face had turned red with frustration.

"Misao, what — ?"

"IT'S GONE!!! ALL IS LOST!!!" Misao turned and looked threateningly at Kuro. "YOU TOOK IT, DIDN'T YOU?! YOU TOOK THE OTHER CHOPSTICK!! HOW COULD YOU?! YOU KNEW IT WAS MY SPECIAL PAIR OF CHOPSTICKS!! HOW COULD YOU?!!"

Kuro blinked, looking very bewildered. "I…what? I didn't…you know I didn't…"

"THEN WHO TOOK IT?! I KNOW YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS!!!"

Okon walked into the kitchen.

Misao turned around, glaring suspiciously at Okon. "WHERE DID YOU PUT IT, OKON?! WHERE DID YOU HIDE IT?!"

Looking equally as confused as Kuro, Okon opened her mouth to speak. "Where did I put _what_, Misao? You know I wouldn't take anything of yours – unless I think it's inappropriate or something. But surely I haven't taken anything recently…"

Misao's face had turned, if possible, even redder than before. "MY OTHER CHOPSTICK!!!" she bellowed, waving the other one in the air.

Okon looked horrified. "That…chopstick? Oh…I…Okina…oh no…"

"WHAT?!"

"He…er…he used it to…to…"

"TO WHAT?!"

Okon trembled.

At that precise moment, Okina walked through the kitchen door, whistling happily. He took one look at a red-faced Misao and a scared-looking Okon, and, still whistling, decided that it would be best to back out of the door, hoping that no one would notice.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!!" Misao yelled. "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?!"

Okina had no choice but to stop. "Er…d-do with what, Misao?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!" and with that, Misao flung her other chopstick at Okina, as if she was attempting to poke his eye out. Okina seemed to sense the danger in this, as he immediately opened his mouth to say something.

"I…er…used it for something…i-important…might I add…t-that you look…er…stunningly…pretty t-today?"

"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!! WHAT DID YOU DO??!"

Okina then made a crucial decision. Rather than answer Misao's question and face the consequences, he decided that it would be best to turn and run for it, with a red Misao at his heels. However, at that moment, Misao saw something that made her heart stop: Aoshi – her Aoshi – was standing in the doorway, looking slightly amused, and to Misao's utter dread, she felt her face turning, not red, but instead, a deep shade of purple.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okey dokey then…sorry this chappie took so long to get out. My mom changed her mind about me being able to write during the summertime – no, she has decided that I can't write at all. Of course, I think this is outrageous, which is why I changed my penname. (Hence the "purple" in the middle of it…) Sorry if that's a mouthful: unique-purple-starfish…Anyhow…I think the only time I can update now is whenever my mother's back is turned. Of course, it will be easier for me to update when I get back to school, but for now, this is all I can do. I will try, however, to change my penname to something easier to type – unless y'all don't mind it, of course…

Please, do tell me what you thought of this chapter. I know it's not the best, but it's the best I could come up with. I will update, though the time is unknown even to me. I have no guarantee that I will update soon, though I will try to as soon as possible.

Thanks to all who reviewed!


	3. Chapter 2: Flies and Coconuts

**Author's Note:** Well – here I am with another update…hopefully. I still can't get off my lazy ass to go write "Pools of Emptiness" or "Shattered Dreams" (which, by the way, is in desperate need of a new title). As I said earlier, all my so-called "inspiration" has been drained away for that particular fic, due to the poor quality of the last chapter I wrote. I think I will stick with this fic for a while – maybe after this fic, I can try and finish it. Okay – I WILL finish it…someday…

Disclaimer: Here's what you people are going to say: unique-purple-starfish doesn't own Rurouni Kenshin. Am I right? Well, that's what YOU think. Someday, somehow…I'm going to get my hands on a crap-load of cash, and then…then you'll see how wrong you are…

* * *

Chapter 2

The eerie silence was broken, surprisingly, by Aoshi. "Okina – a word, please…"

With that, Aoshi turned to leave, Okina gratefully scurrying after him. "See you later Misao!" he cried cheerfully over his shoulder.

Misao didn't seem to notice. Her mouth hung slightly open, and the chopstick she had thrown at Okina lay forgotten on the floor next to her foot. She stood there, until finally, a fly buzzed deafeningly around her head and attempted to land in her mouth.

She swatted it away. _Stupid fly…_

"Misao?" Okon asked nervously.

Misao shook her head. "Yeah?"

"Ah…yes…um…we need you to run an errand for us at the market. Will you go?"

"Sure, sure…what do you want me to get?"

Omasu handed her a list. "Get everything on this list for us, okay? THANKS!"

They turned to leave.

"WAIT!" Misao stopped them.

Omasu looked questioningly at her. "Yes, Misao?"

"I-I didn't look really dumb in front of Aoshi-sama…did I?"

Omasu sniggered. "Er…well…ah…I don't know how to say this, but—"

Okon poked her. "Omasu is saying that you looked perfectly FINE, Misao."

Misao smiled. "Thanks, Okon."

Okon and Omasu looked at each other knowingly before slipping out of the room.

* * *

Okina and Aoshi stood in silence. It was a beautiful day – the sky was a deep blue, the air was light and breezy, and flies buzzed around lazily…

Okina blinked. _Flies?_ He swatted one away from his ear. Oddly enough, the flies didn't seem to mind the swatting – they seemed to rather enjoy it. A fly landed on Okina's shoulder; again, he attempted to swat it away. However, he only managed to get the fly to fly around his head in a circle and then land on his shoulder again.

Clearing his throat, Okina broke the silence. "Soooooooo…." Okina waited.

"…"

"Soooooo…"

"…"

"Er…the weather's nice out, eh, Aoshi? I don't know where these flies came from, though."

"…"

"I knew you would agree…anyways, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

The silence was deafening. Okina began making patterns in dirt. _OOOOOOHHH!!! This is actually kind of fun! I wonder if this can actually be considered an art. _Okina studied his pattern._ This one does certainly resembled a lady's—_

"Okina…" Thankfully, Aoshi broke the silence before Okina could finish his thought.

"Yes, Aoshi?"

"I have…a proposition."

"Oh? And what might that be for?"

"For the good of the Oniwabanshu," Aoshi replied. _And for my reputation…_

Okina looked concerned. "Is anything wrong?"

"Do you remember, Okina, that there will be a red moon tomorrow night?"

Okina sniggered. _HA! Aoshi still believes in that 'lady in red' thing! OH…wait till I tell Omasu and the others!!! That's hilariously funny…I wonder if he still believes in the tooth fairy…or Santa Claus… _

"Well?" Aoshi asked impatiently (for once).

"Do you still believe in Santa Claus or the tooth fairy?" Okina asked. He hadn't actually meant to voice those words – they just…came out.

Aoshi raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Okina struggled to look innocent. "Nothing, nothing…but…Aoshi…I think I know what this is about."

Aoshi paused for a moment. "You do?"

Okina nodded. "Does this happen to concern…the 'lady in red' legend? Are you embarrassed about that little 'hallucination' you saw when you were a young boy? Don't be embarrassed yet! Wait till I tell the others! THEN you can be embarrassed." Okina smiled gleefully. He loved blackmailing people.

Glaring, Aoshi said, "It wasn't a 'hallucination'! I really saw her!"

A fly landed on Okina's other shoulder. He attempted to bat it away (alas, to no avail), and said, "Oh sure, Aoshi…I can just imagine it! Little weeny Aoshi seeing purty red fairies…oooohhhh…this is BIG news!! Omasu and Okon are going to DIE laughing!! Thank you SO much for reminding me of this incident!"

Aoshi lost his composure. The horrible memories of those 'times' (cheek-pinching, declarations of how 'cute' he was, etc.) came flashing back to him at an alarming rate. This flood of memories was too much for him. "But you CAN'T!!"

Okina stopped trying to brush the fly off his shoulder, and smiled. "Oh? And why can't I?"

"You're going to make the whole Oniwabanshu look like a joke. If this gets out…"

Okina's smile widened. "Do continue…"

"…" Aoshi glared.

"Aoshi, let me share a pearl of wisdom with you. To be popular with the ladies, don't mention your…hallucination…to them. Seeing fairies is a big turn-off…but…I think it doesn't matter if you tell them or not, does it? They're going to find out anyways (through ME)!!"

"…"

Okina sighed. "It certainly DOES feel good to be in control…" He sat down on a bench, as another fly landed on his knee. "What is up with all these FLIES!?" The poor fly – it never saw it coming. Okina's hand came down too fast for it to fly away in time, and this resulted in it becoming a disgusting mass of black…stuff…stuck on the palm of Okina's hand.

"Do you want to hear my proposition?" Aoshi asked abruptly.

Okina stopped trying to remove the disgusting black…stuff…for a moment to consider. He nodded slowly. "Okay, then. What is it?"

"Stay out tomorrow night with me, and I'll prove to you that the lady in red DOES exist. You'll see her! You'll ALL see!"

Okina burst out laughing. "I don't believe it! You're still convinced that she exists! Oh JEEZ!! This is GREAT!!"

Aoshi sighed. _Apparently, this is NOT going to work…_

* * *

Misao was at the market. A fly landed on her sleeve. She swung at it, managing to kill it. However, this was definitely not a good thing. You wouldn't think so either if your hand was covered in nasty, black…stuff. Disgusting.

Wandering up to a display of rather ugly fabrics, Misao checked around to see if anyone was looking—and there wasn't. She quickly wiped the black…stuff…on the fabric, and she stood back to admire the effect. _Not bad, actually. This actually kind of fits with the theme._

With that, she continued walking.

She wondered why she had agreed to this errand as she neared the butcher shop. Misao always hated going to market – and for one reason only. That reason was a big reason—or horrible reason. It was—

"Misao, MY LOVE!!!" the butcher boy cried. "You have come all this way to see ME!! OH!! This makes me so happy!"

"Er…sure…"

"Oh, do you really mean it, Misao?" The butcher boy eyed her hopefully.

"Um…I have to go. BYE!" She ran.

* * *

The butcher boy was content. He was sitting on a stool and waving to girls (who, oddly enough, seemed to be repelled by the very sight of him), and he would yell, "NICE COCONUTS!!" at them. He didn't understand WHY they were repelled by him.

His father had once told him that yelling "NICE COCONUTS!!" was a sure way to get girls.

However, he didn't care much about THOSE girls anyways. He was content—not because girls were repelled by him—but because he had gotten a glimpse of Misao that day.

The butcher boy was always referred to as 'the butcher boy.' Of course, he did have a real name, but no one ever bothered to find out. Sometimes, even his mother would mess it up. When he came home, his mother would kiss him, and say, "Oh Aaoshi!!! Or was it Aooshi? Er…oh well! I love you SO much!!"

The butcher boy glared, as he picked at his pimples. His own name reminded him of another person—the person who was (keyword) _rumored _to be Misao's crush—Aoshi Shinomori.

He studied his reflection in a pan. Aoshi Shinomori wasn't THAT good-looking, was he? _No, I'm MUCH better looking…_

* * *

The girl in red was excited – and a little nervous.

Tomorrow night would be her big night – she would unite two lovers together! They were so perfect for each other.

Who would have thought a someone so loud and happy would go with someone who was quiet and stoic?

She sighed. She could just picture the two together: The girl, with her long braid blowing in the wind, together with that hot guy with icy blue eyes. _That girl Misao is so perfect for that hot guy…erm…what was his name? I think it was **Aaoshi** or **Aooshi** or something like that…_

The girl shrugged. It didn't really matter how she pronounced the name—did it?

* * *

**A/N: **So…this chapter was…pointless. But, that's okay, right? RIGHT?! I'm really sorry. It sucks. I know it does. But bear with me! Something will happen soon! This chapter DID have something important in it though…let's hope you caught it. You DID catch it, right? RIGHT?! This chapter contained some little hints as to why the pronunciation mistakes were made during the spell. I hope that gave you a big enough hint. So you see? This chapter wasn't completely pointless! It had a point! Now, it's time for you to a) review, b) review, and c) review!!! YAY!!!

Thanks to all who reviewed last time!


End file.
